Author Topic: Notre Dame Line Purchase? (Read 47046 times)

ambrose · « **on:** October 15, 2005, 06:25:07 PM »

I overheard a conversation in church today that shocked and surprised me.The party I Quote is a minister of the cup so there must be some truth to it.He works for the power plant at Notre Dame and said the NS line to Notre Dame has been bought by some guy and track would be relaid and even something about what sounds like a possible excursion operation.I remember reading here quite a while ago about Notre Dame having a study done about rehabing the line.Has anyone heard anything official about this?.

ambrose

Rick · « **Reply #1 on:** October 16, 2005, 08:24:58 AM »

I have not heard anything but if you have driven by there in the last month or so you can see they repaved the crossing at 933 and were careful not to tear up the track. I would think if the line was finished Notre Dame would have taken the track with they old asphalt. An excursion would be nice in this area.

Tom(Guest) · « **Reply #2 on:** May 05, 2006, 05:25:17 PM »

It appears that the tracks were removed and not just paved over on the NS/Conrail line to ND where they cross Lincolnway on South Bend's west side.

I too have heard rumors of a shortline acquiring the former line to serve ND again.

big_amish · « **Reply #3 on:** May 06, 2006, 01:28:02 AM »

I read on another railfan website that the ND line was purchased by someone that owns alot of old South Shore equipment. Construction/restoration may begin late this year and the restored line will not connect as it did with NS, it will connect with South Shore at the Amtrak station. This wasn't any official release, so it may just be somebody wishing.

AL STEVENS(Guest) · « **Reply #4 on:** May 06, 2006, 11:02:03 AM »

I'VE ALWAYS BEN INTRIGUED WITH THIS LINE. I HAVE OFTEN THOUGHT THAT IF SOMEONE RELAYED A LITTLE TRACK BETWEEN THE POINT WHERE THIS LINE JOINS THE WATERLEVEL ROUTE AND THE STATION, YOU COULD RUN "FOOTBALL SPECIALS" IN TO THE ND CAMPUS OFF OF THE SOUTH SHORE. COULD ALSO INVISION PRIVATE VARNISH COMING IN FOR FOOTBALL WEEKENDS JUST LIKE IN DAYS GONE BY.

IT SURE SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF EXTRA WORK THE WAY THAT THEY ARE RUNNING COAL INTO THE ND POWER PLANT NOW, UNLOAD IT AT THE NJII ENGINE HOUSE, TRUCK IT TO THE POWER HOUSE, UNLOAD IT RELOAD IT TO TAKE INTO THE POWER HOUSE. IN MY OPINION IT WOULD SURE BE ALOT EASIER TO BRING IN THE COAL CARS DIRECT TO THE POWER PLANT.

I WISH ANYONE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT THE BEST OF LUCK.

big_amish · « **Reply #5 on:** June 12, 2006, 01:17:24 AM »

Another road project has carefully left the line in place for a possible rehab. The Douglas Rd/ Juniper Rd project that Notre Dame is paying for has preserved the crossing in front of the power plant on Douglas even though the new road is wider and realligned to soften the jog in the road at the crossing. I don't think ND would let it stay if they didn't believe a rehab was going to happen.

dinwitty · « **Reply #6 on:** June 12, 2006, 08:45:55 PM »

totally true, I have contact with the fellow and the whole thing is very cool.

ambrose(Guest) · « **Reply #7 on:** June 14, 2006, 07:54:22 AM »

Wow it is breaking on the news this morning!.So I was right.
But the mayor is against it.What does the city council have to do with interstate commerce anyway?.Down with anti railroad sentiment.

ambrose

Tom B.(Guest) · « **Reply #8 on:** June 14, 2006, 01:15:38 PM »

Good catch on the news regarding the South Bend Railway formation. There's an article in today's South Bend Tribune that goes into detail about the new operator's plan to revive this branchline to ND.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060614/News01/606140407

Sounds like the plan is to not only start back up coal deliveries to ND but also sign up additional online customers.

bando1473 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 14, 2006, 08:27:21 PM »

I guess the mayor feels that trains belong in the zoo where taxpayers pay for them and the city runs them.
Those guys better be carefull or they'll end up paying salaries and taxes, not in the plan for the Peoples Republic of South Bend.
Seriously, how many heavy trucks would this take off of city streets?

Al Corwin

AL STEVENS(Guest) · « **Reply #10 on:** June 14, 2006, 11:29:49 PM »

THE NAME OF THE NEW RAILROAD IS THE CHICAGO, LAKE SHORE & SOUTH BEND RAILWAY (C.LS&SB). THEY FILED TODAY WITH THE STB TODAY FOR EXEMPTION TO PURCHASE THE LINE FROM NS AND OPERATE AS A CLASS III CARRIER. LINK TO THE STB FILING BELOW
http://www.stb.dot.gov/filings/all.nsf/6084f194b67ca1c4852567d9005751dc/bcf287237f152d158525718d0079eb93/$FILE/216767.pdf

AS FAR AS THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND STOPPING THIS PROJECT FROM GOING THROUGH, I THINK THEY'RE S.O.L.. THE WAY I SEE IT THIS LINE WAS NEVER FORMALLY ABANDONED OR EMBARGOED AND IS STILL LEGALLY CONSIDERED AN ACTIVE PART OF THE NATIONAL RAIL NETWORK HENCE MAKING THE MAYORS' OBJECTIONS A MOOT POINT. THE NEW OWNERS COULD PROBABLY EVEN PURSUE THE CITY IN COURT OR IN A STB HEARING OR BOTH FOR ILLEGALLY REMOVING/ PAVING OVER GRADE CROSSINGS ON AN "ACTIVE" RAIL LINE.
THE FELLOW BEHIND THIS PROJECT IS ROBERT HARRIS FROM MICHIGAN CITY. IS HE TIED IN WITH THE GROUP THAT HAS THE OLD SOUTHSHORE EQUIPMENT AND WAS TRYING A FEW YEARS AGO TO RUN TRAINS TO THE DUNES FROM MICHIGAN CITY SEVERAL YEARS AGO?

AL STEVENS(Guest) · « **Reply #11 on:** June 15, 2006, 12:54:36 PM »

THE SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE HAS ABOUT 5 STORIES ON THIS PROJECT ALONG WITH AN 11 PICTURE PHOTO GALLERY OF THIS LINE AT THE FOLLOWING LINK.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060615/News01/606150385

ALSO A PUBLIC MEETING (LYNCH MOB) IS CONVENING TONIGHT AT 5:OO PM AT THE CITY/ COUNTY BUILDING TO DISCUSS HOW TO KEEP THOSE EVIL TRAINS OUT OF SOUTH BEND.

indrr · « **Reply #12 on:** June 15, 2006, 01:51:29 PM »

From that Tribune article:

"Not in our neighborhood," he said with certainty. "We've got too many kids running around."

"And the number one concern of the general public should be the safety of children," he said. "They can do a lot of damage to themselves if certain safety measures aren't put in place."

Idiots.

Trains kill or maim how many kids per year? Compared to the number of kids killed or maimed by parents backing over them in the driveway?

I'm not sure of the plans exactly, but I would bet that the freight trains will be primarily nighttime...when all of your kiddies should be in bed. Granted, if they start running halfhourly passenger trains, maybe there should be something done, like a fence or wall, but not till there is any traffic more than a couple trains/week.

Good grief.

AL STEVENS(Guest) · « **Reply #13 on:** June 15, 2006, 04:40:00 PM »

I MAY HAVE FOUND THE ANSWER TO MY PREVIOUS QUESTION. I BELIEVE THAT THE GROUP BUYING THE ND&W IS IN FACT THE GROUP WITH THE SOUTH SHORE EQUIPMENT AND THE ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE STORED IN MICHIGAN CITY.
THE ADDRESS LISTED AS THE RAILROADS OFFICE IS 515 SHERIDAN ST. MICH CITY. A DRIVE BY 515 SHERIDAN THIS MORNING REVEALED THAT THIS IS THE LOCATION WHERE ALL OF THE RAIL IS STORED AND ALSO ALL OF THE OLD METAL CATENARY TOWERS FROM THE SOUTH SHORE. ALSO ON THE GROUNDS WERE INSULATORS, WIRES AND RELATED ITEMS.

NOW FOR MY NEXT BRAIN BUSTER. DO YOU GUYS SUPPOSE THAT THIS GROUP PLANS TO ELECTRIFY THE OLD N,D&W AND RUN IT AS AN ELECTRIC LINE?

steve_wall · « **Reply #14 on:** June 15, 2006, 07:09:02 PM »

Hard to see how they could make it work, with the costs it would take to put up the catenary, compared to what they would spend buying a functional GP-9, 18,20,50 or whatever. But, I wish them well.

big_amish · « **Reply #15 on:** June 16, 2006, 12:38:55 AM »

The attorney for the group attended the meeting (lynch mob) and when talking about the environmental benifits of removing trucks from the road also mentioned that the line will be run on electric like a trolley.

BRC · « **Reply #16 on:** June 16, 2006, 12:21:50 PM »

In regards to the South Bend newspaper article; are these people out of their minds?! This operation may run what, once a week to start maybe once a day when it's really up and running? If anything, this should take some truck traffic off the local roads running to this power plant thats been mentioned (ND I believe?). Is this operation planning some sort of tourist operation? The BBQ shack guy and the other vitriolic citizens should really get a grip and take a second look at this operation. It might just be good for the local economy; tourist trains running back and forth, people on said trains buying local food i.e., BBQ shack guys BBQ, etc. By the way, just exactly where does this line run and long is it?

big_amish · « **Reply #17 on:** June 17, 2006, 11:59:15 PM »

This line is about two miles long and runs from the near west side (near the BBQ place) to the north end of the Notre Dame campus near the Toll Road entrance. The line was last used in 1996 by Conrail to bring coal to ND. After Conrail stopped service, the coal was unloaded at the former NJII yard southwest of town near the Ethanol plant. The coal was then trucked to the coal yard just north of the power plant. The coal was reloaded into the two university owned hoppers and brought into the power plant behind their switcher until a few years ago. The swicher, one hopper, a flat car, and a crane still remain at the power plant.

Here's another story:http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/3067631.html

WabashGuy · « **Reply #18 on:** June 20, 2006, 05:12:51 AM »

I personally would love to see this happen. It's economical. The idea of shuttling fans to ND games is fantastic. If they start this fall it will be an immediate test for the public. I'm a huge ND football fan (along with modeling Wabash) and am glad to see two vital parts of South Bend's past working together. My NJI&I is gone so in a way this would make up for it.

AL STEVENS(Guest) · « **Reply #19 on:** June 20, 2006, 12:24:10 PM »

LOOKING AT THE PICTURES OF THE AMERICAN FREEDOM TRAIN TRAVELING DOWN THIS BRANCH IN 1976, http://indiana.railfan.net/board/?num=1148468358/7#7
I CAN'T HELP BUT NOTICE THAT THE TRACK LOOKED JUST AS BAD 30 YEARS AGO AS IT DOES TODAY.

News:

Author Topic: Notre Dame Line Purchase? (Read 47046 times)

Tom(Guest)

AL STEVENS(Guest)

ambrose(Guest)

Tom B.(Guest)

AL STEVENS(Guest)

AL STEVENS(Guest)

AL STEVENS(Guest)

AL STEVENS(Guest)